Visit My Ebay Store!

Shifting gears from low-key summer schedules to the overdrive of the school year isn't easy. I came up with some ideas that will keep your sanity...at least for a little while! :) 

Simplify the transition
Introduce the earlymorning wake-up routine a week or two before school starts. Buy school supplies and clothing several weeks ahead. And get the kids in gear as summer winds down by choosing more academic pursuits.

Schedule a doctor visit. Make sure the kids are current with their vaccinations. Obtain a medical release if your child participates in sports programs.

Set Up a Carpool and start calling other parents.

Make child-care arrangements for after school, if necessary. Working parents also need to make arrangements to cover sick days, snow days and school holidays. Arrange quality child care.

Check out your children's school clothes and supplies, and buy whatever they're missing. Make sure everything is cleaned, laundered, mended, hemmed and ready to go.

Create a quiet study center for each child. Stock a nearby drawer or shelf with supplies (pencils, erasers, calculator and so on), and give each child a file drawer or bin to contain completed work, tests and ongoing projects.

Review systems, routines and schedules with the kids. Discuss where to store backpacks, school papers and other gear.

Organize Entryways and Mudrooms.

Establish midweek rules. Spell out when kids can use the computer, watch TV or play; be specific when it comes to study hours, bedtimes and wake-up times.

Family Calendar
Make a file for each child with all his or her paperwork (school records, immunizations, birth certificate).

Organize Important Documents.

Create a lunch center in a kitchen cabinet. Gather everything kids need to make their lunches in one place--zipper-lock plastic bags, peanut butter, snacks, thermoses and lunch boxes.

Wean kids from summer sleep cycles by cutting back on late nights and mornings over several weeks. (This helps a lot!)

Thank you for reading this guide and I hope it will help!

Visit My Ebay Store!